All-in-One Printers - Which brand is cheapest to run?

GunJack

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Well the ebay shop is http://stores.ebay.co.uk/inkpower/

Here is one of their listings for 12 XP-225 cartridges which are now £4.89
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-Ink-Cartridge-Epson-XP102-XP202-XP212-XP215-XP205-XP225-XP30-XP302-XP305-/151583669297

They come in a flat letterbox-friendly pack.

There are others even cheaper but as always check feedback and caveat emptor. If anything doesn't work I've found that eBay are excellent these days for forcing refunds.

cheers kb, will check 'em out

Sooler

Cinquestelle wrote: »

Low volume printing: a daily memo which probably equals a full page of text each week. Very occasional photo.

Can't see that cost of ink would be a major factor.

GunJack

Sooler wrote: »

Can't see that cost of ink would be a major factor.

maybe not, but if you choose a device with a 4-in-1 ink cart, it's going to be substantially dearer to own, e.g. chucking away yellow, blue and magenta ink just 'coz the black has run out......

Big_Graeme

macman wrote: »

I'd suggest a Samsung mono laser printer with a scanner built in. Nothing in your post suggests that you really need a colour inkjet.

I'd not bother with the built in scanner and go for a separate one to be honest.

kwikbreaks

Big_Graeme wrote: »

I'd not bother with the built in scanner and go for a separate one to be honest.

A lot of people (me for one) find the space saved by an AIO invaluable. Plus the up-front cost of two units is just about always going to be more than one.

KxMx

My SX200 finally packed up after about 8 years of service- scanner bed ribbon jammed and I don't see how I can take it apart to attempt a repair.

In fairness while due to lack of space I need an AIO an IT professional friend did warn me he didn't like them as if one element didn't work the whole unit became useless. But at 8 years (could be more) service not going to complain.

I came across the XP 225 and really am very tempted.

poppellerant

Service Manual for your printer. The disassembly process starts from page 90.

kwikbreaks

Last time I went inside an inkjet I ruined a shirt and had to either put up with coloured hands for a week or resort to sandpapering them. That said I don't doubt a repair is possible.

Some notes on the XP225....

If you use your printer a lot its pedestrian startup time (over WiFi at least) and far from rapid print speed may well make you wish you'd paid more. If like me you only print occasionally and aren't in a rush to catch last post or for that matter just in a rush then I'd say, at the price, you can't go far wrong.

Don't expect pro quality prints using pound shop paper and compatible ink cartridges. They'll be OK but not perfect.

The scanning is acceptable quality and not noticeably slower than my own old SX200 was so far as I recall. Once again though I'm not an impatient sort of fellow.

KxMx

Thanks for all the posts, i'm certainly a low volume user and probably scan more than I print (not photos) . It sounds ideal.

The service manual link was very helpful but it's too complex for my ability and no-one I can ask as a favour so would have to pay someone... not worth it for an old printer which could do with updating and no way of knowing if it is repairable anyway.



I've been thinking of wireless printing wistfully for a while but couldn't justify it with a printer which worked fine!

sjpkgp

My colour DELL 1320C laser has packed in after about 4 years (just as we were trying to print out boarding cards for a flight). It is not feeding properly and scrunching up the printed pages. I've lost my patience with it, and it is by the back door for 'recycling'. I've got two AIO older printers, a Epson SX515W and a SX105 - I kept them both as scanners really, and they still work, but the ink has dried up. I am going to buy a Brother B&W HL1212W wifi laser from PC world tomorrow for £49 (the cartridge takes it up to £81 ! but can normally get them for £19) as Ryanair will charge us a small fortune for printing the boarding passes at the airport (more than the printer) and I haven't got time to wait for the ink to come, and have concerns about just buying ink for the SX515 at 9.99 a cartridge and finding there is another problem with it. I have, however, managed to find compatibles for both for a couple of quid, so have ordered in the hope of getting all three going again. Husband has said he wants his own printer to print the occasional document (couple of pages) or 'photocopy or 'scan' physically attached to his PC - so can have the SX105. Going to donate the SX515 to the kids, and hopefully keep the laser wifi'd up for my use (nearly all B&W printing, probably 100 pages a week). Not sure if I am mad doing this, but we have space, and it seemed the best/quickest solution to suit us all. Like others, I am a bit amazed how much the compatibles for the older printers have come down, and quite glad I kept my old printers now. Hoping the new Brother one will wifi, it says it will but our house is bad for wifi, and we never ever got the dell to do it (put it on the network wired in the end). Sorry for rambling a bit (and not really helping the OP) but just wanted to say thanks for a good and useful thread, and also 'don't junk your old printer too quickly' - had I just kept a spare set of those £2.95 cartridges (for all 4 !) I'd have my boarding passes in my hand now ! S x